Golf practice apparatus



July 10, 1934.

S. HOFFLUND GOLF PRACTICE APPARATUS Filed Aug.

Patented July I0, 1934 ATENT OFFICE 1,965,838 GOLF PRACTICE APPARATUS Stanley Hcfflund, Santa Monica, Calif. Application August 9, 1930, Serial No. 474,082

9 Claims,

'Ihi s invention relates to apparatus for practicing the driving of golf balls. 'Such apparatus as heretofore employed usually includes a target of canvas or the like which is set up in position #1} before the golfer and presents an opening in a central position at which the golfer should aim the ball. The canvas carrying the opening is usually fiat and there is no means to indicate the accuracy of the driving of any particular ball unless it 3. 3? passes through the opening in the canvas. The general object of this invention is to produce practice apparatus to be used for practicing the driving of a golf ball and which is so constructed as to enable a correctly driven ball to pass with- 'i out obstruction through the target, and to provide the target with means for arresting the flight of incorrectly driven balls so that after practicing driving, the golfer will be informed as to how many of the driven balls were propil erly driven and how many incorrectly driven; also to provide apparatus of this kind with means for returning the correctly driven ball conspicuously and in a way to distinguish it from the other balls which may be returned from the' target.

A further object of the invention is to improve the general construction of a target for the practice of driving golf balls.

, A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kind which is constructed in such a way as to render it safe in use. That is to say, to provide a construction which will prevent any possibility of the driven ball flying back put of the target so as to be dangerous to a person using it or dangerous to by-standers.

A further object of the invention is to prpvide apparatus of this kind which will operate in such way that balls that have been driven with a reasonable amount of accuracy will be returned like a perfectly driven ball. V A further object of the invention is to provide a target of this kind with simple means for retarding and arresting the flight of incorrectly driven golf balls and for facilitating their return to a point near the drivers position.

Further objects of the invention will appear Fhere'inafter.

"The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficient golf practice apparatus.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims,

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the target in longitudinal section and 'diagram-' matically indicating its relation to the returning means for the balls and also indicating the position of the ball to be driven through the target. A portion of this View is broken away.

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken about on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective illustrating a modified 6 embodiment of the apparatus at the point where the ball is returned to the player, certain parts being broken away.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the apparatus it should be stated that according to my invention I provide an elongated target supported with its axis inclined so as to lie substantially along the trajectory of a golf ball driven from a point in front of the target. The target is constructed so that a correctly driven ball will pass along this axis, and such a ball will be caught at a different point from incorrectly driven balls,

When a player is playing on a golf course the Width of the fairway allows considerable lateral leeway as regards the accuracy of shots. The target is constructed so as to simulate this con dition and may give a good score to adriven ball even though it was not perfectly driven, that is to say, a ball that is fairly accurate will pro- 875 gress to considerable distance in the body of the target even if it does strike parts of the target, and will thereafter be returned from the target at a point indicating that the ball was well played ou h i a p f ct hot The target is constructed so that a ball driven into it cannot rebound and fly back in such a way as to pass out of the mouth of the target. In order to accomplish this, the target has a succession of rings of gradually reduced diameter, o r -other means of. this character, operating to project around the path of the ball and which would catch the ball if it tended to rebound.

Any suitable material may be employed for constructing the target and while it may be constructed of wood, it would probably be more economical to construct it of a metal frame having a canvas cover within it. It is not essential that the target be supported on the floor and ii desired it could be suspended on wires from the ceiling.

The target is preferably provided with means for returning the correctly driven ball in a conspicuous manner so that persons watching the driver can observe the number of perfect shots he has made and, if desired, means may be provided for returning in an inconspicuous manner the balls that have not been accurately driven. This may include means for segregating the incorrectly driven balls so that the more correctly driven balls are delivered at a different point from the less correctly driven ones.

One of the features of the invention is that it can be constructed on a relatively light metal frame which can be made of galvanized wire or the like, to which a body of fabric can be readily attached. In its preferred form the target presents a series of graduated target openings gradually decreasing in diameter toward the rear end of the target, and at these graduated openings baffles are provided including yielding flaps that project inwardly and form the edge of the opening. When these flaps are struck by the ball, they retard its flight, and if the flight of the ball is not completely arrested by the first flap, struck, then each succeeding ring of flaps will further retard the incorrectly driven golf ball until it would drop into one of the return ducts.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the target, which is preferably of elongated tapered form resembling a large funnel and presenting a relatively large mouth 2 at its forward end. This body is supported with its longitudinal axis substantially coinciding with the trajectory of a golf ball 3 driven from a point in front of the target. The line of flight of a correctly driven ball is indicated by the dotted line 4. Such a ball will pass through a guide outlet 5 at the rear end of the target.

At a plurality of points between the mouth 2 and the guideway 5, I provide target openings such as the openings 6 and 7 which are graduated in diameter, the larger ones being disposed toward the front and the smaller toward the rear guideway 5. If a golf ball is driven correctly without a slice or a hook, it will pass along the line 4 and through all of these openings. In order to arrest the flight in case it is not correctly driven, I prefer to provide collars such as the collars 8 corresponding to each opening. These collars project inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the target and incline toward its rear end. Furthermore, the collars are preferably constructed in the form of flaps or wings 9 that are attached at their outer edges to the frame 10 of the target. These flaps may be covered with felt or similar soft material and provided with one or more light leaf springs 11 that hold them yieldingly in position. If any flap is struck by a golf ball, it will yield but deflects the ball from its course so as to prevent its passing through the rear outlet 5.

At the point where each of these collars 8 is located I provide an annular gutter 12 which operates to catch balls that fall inside the target just beyond the adjacent collar and these gutters are provided with means such as the ducts 13 that are mounted as indicated so as to return the ball to a point in front of the target and to one side, so that they can be conveniently reached by the player. A similar return duct 14 is provided at the rear guide opening 5 that may connect to the rear guide opening through a bend 15 on a relatively large radius so that a ball driven through this opening would be deflected downwardly and returned to a point near the front.

In order to indicate the degree to which incorrectly driven balls pass through the target, I prefer to provide a duct corresponding to each collar and provide a separate receiving box 16 for each duct. These boxes may be depressed be-' low the end of the duct and the ducts are preferably covered by a flooring or boxing 17.

I prefer to construct the receiving means for the balls coming from the duct 14 differently from that corresponding to the other ducts so as to make these balls more conspicuous, and for this purpose the delivery mouth 18 of this duct is located near the edge of a small green 19 which is level and provided near its center with a hole 20 in line with the axis of the duct at its delivery point. With this arrangement, when a ball passes out of the opening 18 it will pass in a direct line to the cup 20 and fall into it. This will correspond to a hole-in-one drive and will indicate that the ball was perfectly driven.

The frame 10 may be of any suitable construction but preferably includes a plurality of rings 21 of difierent diameters gradually decreasing toward the rear end of the target. These rings would be connected by longitudinal bars 22 arranged so that each section of the target would be substantially conical in form. This would give the target the desired gradually tapering form.

The body of the target would include a liner or inside covering 23 of canvas, duck or similar coarse fabric. This liner should be attached to the inside of the frame wherever necessary, and where it connects the rings 21, forms a series of conical rings of gradually reduced diameter.

In Figure 3 I illustrate an embodiment of the return end of the apparatus which enables the putting skill of the player to be tested. In this figure 25 indicates a green corresponding to the green 19 and placed on the ground or floor near the players position. This green is level and has a surface such as will enable the person to putt a golf ball across it. The center of the green carries a cup 26 which is in line with the duct 27 corresponding to the duct 14. A perfectly driven ball coming through the duct 27 will roll in a straight line across the green and fall into the cup. The duct 27 is so constructed as to enable this to be done. In addition to this, other ducts 28 and 29 are provided that correspond to less accurately driven balls and the duct 28 would take the ball out of the target which was nearly perfect and had progressed almost to the inside of the guideway 5. The ball coming through the duct 28, such as the ball 30, would roll out onto the green but not in line with the cup 26. From this point the golfer would have to putt the ball into the cup. Likewise, the duct 29 would return a ball 31 onto the green but at a further distance from the cup 26, requiring a more skillful putt. It is evident that if the green 25 were of a reasonably large diameter, say 20 or 30 feet, such a green would cooperate with the target so as to return the more accurately driven balls nearer to the center, or the cup, and would enable an interesting game to be played by two golfers, and the game would include the skill of putting as well as the driving skill.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In a golf practice apparatus, a target having an elongated body with a relatively large mouth at its forward end with a relatively large open ing therethrough and having a series of substantially conical rings back of said mouth with a plurality of openings respectively" of graduated size smaller than the first-named opening, and with the smallest openings disposed toward the rear of the target, each relatively forward ring having its rear end of smaller diameter than the next ring located toward the rear, and means for supporting the target with its longitudinal axis inclined upwardly toward the rear.

2. In a golf practice apparatus, a target having a taper form body with a relatively large mouth at its forward end, and supported with its axis in an inclined position substantially coinciding with the trajectory of a correctly driven golf ball, said target having a guide opening at its rear end for guiding a correctly driven ball out of the target, means for returning the correctly driven ball at one point, yielding baffle means located within the target for arresting the flight of incorrectly driven balls, and cooperating to prevent balls driven into the target from rebounding out of the same, and means for returning the incorrectly driven balls.

3. In a golf practice apparatus, a target having a body composed of a plurality of ring form sections including a foremost section with a relatively large mouth at its forward end, said body supported with its axis in an inclined position and elevated at the rear end of the target to correspond with the trajectory of a correctly driven golf ball, said target having a guide opening at its rear end for guiding a correctly driven ball out of the target, the sections to the rear of the foremost section forming a plurality of intermediate target openings of gradually reduced size between the mouth and the rear guide opening,

with yielding baflle means associated with the said intermediate openings for obstructing the flight of a ball striking the same, the rear end of each relatively forward section being received within the forward end of the next section toward the rear.

4. In a golf practice apparatus, a target having a frame comprising a plurality of rings of graduated diameters with the larger ring disposed forwardly, a fabric covering on the said frame, a plurality of collars supported at their outer edges on the said rings, and having inwardly projecting yielding flaps inclining toward the rear end of the target and operating to obstruct the flight of an incorrectly driven ball.

5. In a golf practice apparatus, an elongated target having a plurality of sections including a forward section having a relatively large mouth at its forward end with a relatively large opening therethrough, the sections to the rear of the foremost section having a plurality of openings respectively of graduated size smaller than the first named opening, and with the smaller openings disposed toward the rear of the target, the rear end of each relatively forward section being smaller in transverse dimension than the forward end of the next section toward the rear, means for supporting the target with its axis inclined upwardly toward the rear, so that the longitudinal axis of the target substantially coincides with the trajectory of a perfectly driven ball, means corresponding to the relatively smaller openings for preventing a golf ball driven into the target from rebounding backward through the mouth, and means associated with the relatively smaller openings for returning the driven golf ball.

6. In a golf practice apparatus, a; target composed of a plurality of conical sections, the foremost of said sections having a relatively large mouth at its forward end with a relatively large opening therethrough, the other sections having a plurality of openings respectively of graduated size smaller than the first-named opening, and with the smaller openings disposed toward the rear of the target, the rear end of each relatively forward section being of smaller diameter than the forward end of the next section toward the rear, means for supporting the target with its axis inclined upwardly toward the rear so that said axis substantially coincides with the trajectory of a correctly driven ball, said target having a rearwardly tapering rear end to guide rearwardly a ball driven substantially along the said axis, and means for returning the balls that are driven through the said guiding means 7. In a golf practice apparatus, a target composed of a plurality of rearwardly tapered sections, including a foremost section having a relatively large mouth at its forward end with a relatively large opening therethrough, the sections to the rear of the foremost section having openings respectively of graduated size smaller than the first named opening, the rear small end of each relatively forward section being of smaller transverse dimension than the forward end of the next section toward the rear.

8. In a golf practice apparatus, a target having a plurality of sections including a forward section having a relatively large mouth at its forward end with a relatively large opening therethrough, the sections to the rear of the foremost section having a plurality of openings respectively of graduated size smaller than the first named opening, and with the smaller openings disposed toward the rear of the target, the rear end of each relatively forward section being smaller in transverse dimension than the next section toward the rear and projecting into the forward end of the next section to the rear, means for supporting the target with its axis inclined upwardly toward the rear, so that the longitudinal axis of the target substantially coincides with the trajectory of a perfectly driven ball, means corresponding to the relatively smaller openings for preventing a golf ball driven into the target from rebounding backward through the mouth, means associated with the relatively smaller openings for returning the driven golf ball, means connecting the rear end of each relatively forward section with the forward end of the next section to the rear forming a gutter for catching a ball falling therein.

9. A target of the kind described composed of a plurality of sections, each section having a frame with a forward ring of relatively large diameter and a rear ring of relatively smaller diameter, each section having a fabric liner covering the inner side of its frame, said sections constructed so that each section has a relatively large mouth at its forward end, and the target presents a plurality of target openings gradually diminishing in size so that the smaller openings are disposed toward the rear of the target, the edges of said openings having inwardly and rearwardly projecting yielding flaps for obstructing the flight of an incorrectly driven golf ball.

STANLEY HOFFLUND. 

